This invention relates generally to garments for protecting a wearer from a collision-related injury and more particularly is concerned with a protective garment having portions which inflate upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.
The type of protective garment with which this invention is to be compared is adapted to be worn by a wearer and which has portions which are adapted to inflate upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as a collision of an automobile in which the wearer is riding. The inflatable portions, when inflated, are intended to provide a protective cushion between the wearer's body and an object which may otherwise strike or be struck by the wearer's body. Such a garment, in the form of a safety vest, is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,716.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved protective garment of the aforedescribed type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a garment providing effective protection for selected regions or parts, such as the thoracic cage, abdominal viscera, knee, pelvis, thigh and cervical spine, of the wearer's body.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a garment which provides substantial support for the wearer's head and neck during a collision.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such a garment which is comfortable to a wearer and permits a great deal of wearer mobility when worn.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a garment which effectively distributes the impact of a collision over a relatively large area of the garment.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a garment which can be used to selectively heat or cool the wearer.
A yet still further object of the present invention is to provide such a garment having means for precussing selected regions of the wearer's torso.
One other object of the present invention is to provide such a garment which is economical to manufacture and effective in operation.